Life Changes & Growth

So a lot’s happened since my last post:

• New roommate moved into my apartment
• Started new job at new company
• Got into climbing
• I broke up w/ my boyfriend
• I took an awesome trip to Las Vegas
• Saw The Killers perform

With all these changes, my expenses have gone up.

Still, my net worth is gradually increasing:

November 2006

• Cash: 17334
• Stocks: 2594
• Retirement: 6342
• Othe: 740
• Total: 27010

Hyping my veterinarian.

I made an appointment with my vet to get my cat her annual shots.  I had to look up his info on the Internet, and I found him through Citysearch.com. When I got to the page, there were reviews on him…and I forgot that he is truly an awesome veterinarian.

I’ve gone through a lot of hospitals that were disappointing and alarming. And, my cat’s veterinarian, Todd Calsyn, is great. If you ever need a humane, personable and generous vet, this is it.

Here’s the link to the Citysearch reviews: http://losangeles.citysearch.com/review/40013665

Todd Calsyn, DVM

Laurel Pet Hospital

7970 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046  
(323) 654-7060

July net worth

July 2006

• Cash: 14973
• Stocks: 2112
• Retirement: 5038
• Total: 22123

My new roommate has moved in! I’m overjoyed~

ING Direct beefs up their security!

Wow, I think I like ING’s new security feature. It took some time setting it up, but I feel more confident that my financial info is secure.

The process:

1. You select an image (animal or flower) and have a phrase going with it

2. You answer about 9 personal questions.

3. You can register specific computers to skip the login security process

4. When you log in, you’ll be given two random personal questions, then you’ll see your image/phrase, and you’ll have to enter your pin.

And, you’re in.

Pretty hardcore.

Korean banks have extreme security features.

When you sign up for an account, you’re given your account book and a card with rows and columns of numbers.

When you try to initiate a fund transfer by phone or Internet, you have to register your computer.  You can have the certification data stored on your computer or bring a disk with you. They will ask you for this certification….verify…and then will ask for random numbers on the card you were given. Like what’s the number in row b column 7 and row d column 4.

Then, you can do the fund transfer.

Kinda annoying…but, helps protect!

Count down: 6 more days

6 more days until my roommate/friend moves out of the apartment.

I have been waiting so long for this.

Tensions came to an all-time high yesterday when she emailed me saying that she needed the deposit this week.

1st email from her:

Hey:

I just wanted to let you know that I signed a lease for a new place in ******.  However, I can’t move in until the 5^th of August.  I was thinking that I could start packing up all my things this week and leave a bunch of stuff in my car.  I can move my big things into the living room so that *** can move his things into the room on Sunday.  I’ll stay at *****’s on Sunday night & the rest of the week, so *** can have the place starting Sunday night.  I’ll come back on Saturday morning [8/5] to pick up my big things.  Is that ok?

 

Also, I had to give all my deposit and first month’s rent early to get the place, so I’m kind of tapped out for the week.  Do you think you can give me the deposit for the place this week?  I’d really appreciate it.  I don’t know how much you’re getting from ***, but I was thinking the deposit for my space should be about $550 [$125 less than what I actually paid] because I doubt ***’s going to keep much of the deposit.   I don’t know if I need the refrigerator yet, but I should find out soon.  If I don’t need it then you can buy it off of me for like $250.  It was originally like $550.  As far as final bills, I’m going to get everything switched out, and I’ll let you know how much the final bills are when they come in.

 

Here are things I’m not taking:

 

Futon

Table & Chairs

Desk

Most Kitchenware [i.e. dishes, cups, etc.]

Old Computers

And whatever else I can think of . . . .

 

Do you need any of the things because I’m just going to give them to Goodwill?

My email:

Hey *****,

I’ll have a talk with *** about this…and hopefully he’ll be cool about it. If anything, we might have to pro-rate his rent for the few days. I think we can work something out.

I know that he’s bringing in his couch, dining table & chairs, desk, and queen-size bed. We need to move all these things in this weekend because his parents are flying in from Minnesota to help him. Also, his last day at his current apt is July 31.

This is what we can do:

All the big stuff that you won’t be taking, we throw away immediately.
- Futon
- Table & Chairs (I’ll ask *** if he wants to use our dining set or if he prefers his)
- Desk
- Old computers
- Kitchenware (If you’re throwing away the utensils and some pans, I may take them)

All other stuff, we can disassemble and leave in the dining room, your car, or *****’s place. Let’s try to fit all that stuff in the dining area so that we can get ***’s furniture in easily. We should have the room cleared out for him when he starts moving in his bed and desk (Saturday morning).

Starting Aug 1, he’ll need the garage though since he has two cars. So it might not be a good idea to put stuff in your car. As you know, my car got broken into recently…and it was annoying and costly replacing the glass.

As far as the deposit, I can give you your portion as soon as his check clears through. As of yet, my excess cash is locked up in CDs, and I just had to fix my car…so I’m pretty broke…He’s going to give me his rent and deposit this weekend, so I’ll write out a check to you maybe on Tuesday? Wednesday?

Before you close any accounts, let’s see if we can transfer some of the utilities…

Let’s talk more tonight…

 Her response:

Considering that I’m technically paid up until the 31^st; me moving all my stuff before then is a favor to him, so I don’t agree with prorating any rent.  If it’s going to be a problem then I’ll just take the full deposit and rent a u-haul to leave my stuff.  Also, I think that I should get the deposit payment before he actually moves in; I don’t really think it’s fair to have me wait until after his check clears the following week after he’s already in.  Why doesn’t he just write the check directly to me so that we don’t have to wait for the check to clear through your account?  Also, I’m not going to be able to finish moving out all the stuff by Friday night.  I need Saturday to move everything since I can’t take Friday off to do all this.  He’s going to have to move in on Sunday.

I call her to talk about this…

And she says that I’m being difficult and that if it’s a problem she wants her entire deposit back to rent a uhaul to move out.  I tell her that I’m not being difficult but that I’m just confused because she keeps changing her mind on things and giving me different numbers/dates, etc. That I asked her if *** could start moving in this weekend because his parents are planning to fly in to help him…I asked her this about 2 weeks ago…and then confirmed one week ago. And she says, “Why does he need his parents to help him move?” Me, “I don’t know, that’s the situation.” The point is I tried to respect her space by asking her ahead of time if it was okay. If it wasn’t I would’ve told him no…you can’t move in until Aug 1. She then argues that she needs the deposit right away. And, I reiterate that I can give it to her next Tue/Wed. She says that she’s broke…and I say that we’re all broke. I’m broke, I had my car just fixed. And, this is hard to hear from a person who makes 25K more than me. To be broke when we have such little expenses? And, she starts this “friend” bit on me…”As a friend…yada yada” And, I’m thinking…as a friend you would respect my space and actually do your part of the work and not have your friends crash every month. And, I just say that I can get *** to write her a check for $550 but he needs to move in his furniture on Saturday since his parents are leaving on Sunday.

Background info:

She tells me she’s going to move out June 24th or so…and that she’s planning to 3rd week of July.

She says that I can give her $3-400 deposit back.

She tells her friend that she can move in w/out consulting me. I consider it but decide to go with ***.

She asks if her friend could stay over for a week. He relocated from Texas. What she didn’t tell me was that they were planning to live together…so that means a week is really until they move out (3 weeks). This is while her boyfriend is already sleeping over our place.

And two months before this, she had her friend stay over for a week to study for his med exams.

All this while, they’re using my bathroom…and they’re guys. They keep the toilet seat up, they’re clogging up my tub drain with their thin hair, and leave wet towels over the shower door. Despite talking to them and her, it’s still happening.

Not to mention she orders her boyfriend to do all the chores. I am certain that she’s the laziest and most wasteful person in my life.

I am just sooooooooooooooooooooo happy that she’ll be moving out.

SHE NEEDS TO MOVE OUT. NOWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Networthiq.com upgraded their site features.

I like how you can see the percentage change month to month.

Here’s my networth page: http://www.networthiq.com/people/gottahustle

ADD

I think many people  have slight-ADD symptoms/tendencies.

I can see this with my boyfriend, my ex, my cousin, and even in myself.

A few years ago, my ex graduated from school and he started interning for his professors. His professors had failed him because he couldn’t turn things on time, make it to class, and follow-through. Yet, after college, they hired him for projects because they felt he was exceptionally talented and had a lot of potential to do great things.

As he worked on a new project with one professsor, his professor recommended that he read a few books. This included “Art of the Start” and “ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life”. Both books are awesome, and I recommend them.

His problem was that he truly wanted to do a lot of things and be everything for everyone. He would over-promise and could only deliver so much. He’d fear giving people real deadlines that he could work with. I think he couldn’t even assess those deadlines. But, he’d always want to do a perfect job. He had too many things to work on, no schedule, and missed deadlines.

The ADD book calls out to simplify everything. Dumb it down…and make everything simple, clear, and easy. Try to eliminate too many options…like, for instance, if you have a hard time deciding what to wear in the morning, keep your closet with basic items and basic colors.

This can apply to credit cards. If you have five credit cards, you’re more likely to rack up more debt than having only two cards. If you have five, keep only one in your wallet. Set up rules for those credit cards…like…I’ll use this credit cards only for online purchases because I’ll get a cash-back and the credit card company has a great refund policy on Internet purchases. Or, I’ll use this card only for gas purchases because I earn special rewards for making this type of purchase.

Other good things for the ADD-affected:

Write down what you have to do every night for the next day. Write it clearly using a black marker and use action words. Don’t write “Laundry”. Rather, “Do Laundry”. Limit your list to three major tasks and five smaller ones. After you’ve completed each task, cross it out with a big fat line.

Be decisive and set a time. And, always follow-up. If you’re meeting a friend, don’t say “I’ll meet you in the afternoon.” Say, “Let’s meet between 2-2:30pm.” If you’re running late, call and be honest and say, “Sorry, I’m running late. I’ll be there at 3:30pm.” Let people in the loop.

Don’t keep accumulating things. The less you have, the better you’ll perform.

Replacing lost/expired items

Hey folks…my car got broken into yesterday.  Stupid me, I left a tempting bag on the passenger seat.

My window got shattered and bag disappeared.

Now, why did I leave the bag there?

I was absent-minded all morning and pre-occupied with how I would tell my company that I was going to leave for a new job. I slept at my parents’ place to try to relax and get to work early, and I had a lot of small bags with me when I got in the car. I thought I would consolidate my goods and left one bag still in the car. I thought, “I have my wallet and all the important things…” Hm…

So, in my bag, I had my  ipod, my checkbooks to two bank accounts, and my makeup bag.  I put a hold on my checking accounts. Ipod and my cool songs gone for good…and same with the makeup.

Got the window fixed for $150. Not bad, I think…

And, today when I left work, traffic was a bitch, so I went to the mall to restock on my cosmetics at Sephora. Women and some men spend a lot on cosmetics and skincare.

I thought I’d share my shopping bag:

Today at Sephora, I bought…

• Benefit Playsticks foundation in “hide and seek” color – $32
• Sephora Make Up Base – $22
• Sephora Lip Gloss Quad Globe thingy – $9
• Nars creme blush in “penny lane” – $22.50
• Pout blush apricot – $20.00 (this was a mistake. I picked up the wrong item and need to return it ASAP)

After tax, totalled $114.20

Aside from my Sephora purchase, the rest of my make-up bag includes the drugstore stuffs:

• Physicians Formula shimmer powder in “translucent pearl” – roughly $10
• Loreal Ink Eye Liner – about $8
• Almay brow liner with comb – about $6
• Chapstick – $2

What’s the point of tallying my cosmetics expenditures?  Because I don’t really spend so much on maintaining/enhancing the way I look.

I’ll probably use these items until they expire…about a quarter of a year.

Aside from make-up, I spend very little on skin care products. I only have a few things: eye make-up remover which I usually get free from my mom’s purchases of Estee Lauder little bonus gift bags, DHC mild soap (love this thing…lasts forever), Neutrogena Sunscreen, and either Lubriderm, Cetaphyl, or Eucerin Lotion.

Hair-wise, I cut my own hair…I’m trying to grow it so there’s no need to get it professionally styled.

I don’t shave my legs because I’ve never had to. Never shaved…and never will.

And, that’s it!

Good news.

I got the job!

Though I wasn’t offered the salary I requested, they’re still offering a good package.  I’m still negotiating the salary and will find out what there counteroffer is today.

This is what I asked for:

Interview:  60-65K (I thought, what the hell…I’ve got a job, let’s see where this takes me…)

Upon acceptance, their offer: 51K, 401K – 4% full match, 5K bonus, 6 Mo. performance review

My suggestion: Option 1: 57K, 401K, 5K bonus, 6 Mo. review; Option 2: 55K, 401K, 5K bonus, 3 Mo automatic salary raise to 58K.

This is what I think they’ll come back to me with:

54K, 401K, 5K bonus, 3 Mo performance review

The salary is higher than what I make at my current job…but, I think I’ll incur more expenses. Inevitably, I’ll have to lunch out more to get acquainted with my new co-workers. I imagine this happening for the next 2-3 months.

To work around this, I will…

1. Eat a hearty breakfast every morning

2. Drink water when I lunch out and order something small and inexpensive

3. Bring healthy snacks to work

4. Limit eating out to the weekends when celebrating a special event with boyfriend or meeting up with a group of friends.

How does that sound?

I’m excited…

And, something nerdy – how to create an autostart cd that plays on both a pc and mac.

i had to do this at work today…and it took me a while to figure it out, so i thought i’d share the info with you in case you ever need to do this.

i created a website press kit that will be copied onto a usb drive and dispersed to magazines and journalists. i wanted it to be easy and intuitive to open and check out.

creating an autostart/autorun cd for the pc is easy. all you have to do is add an autorun.inf file that tells the cd to open a certain file.

doing this on a mac is trickier. in fact, on osx you cannot autorun a file or program, but you can open a window that shows a main icon to click and view the file/start the program.

this involves creating a hybrid cd.

here’s what i did using a slightly older version of roxio (titanium 6)

1. create an inf file through a simple text editor and define the file you want to open.  add this to your project folder.

2. in roxio, create a mac/pc disc image by dumping the project contents into the main folder. double click each file or folder that you want invisible and select “invisible”. There should be only one file left that would be visible and that you’d want somone to click on to start the program. For instance, start.html. Save the Roxio project as a disc image.

3. mount the disc image by right-clicking and selecting to mount it through disc utility.

4. in roxio, clear out all the contents, and start a new cd by selecting “hybrid cd”. for the mac part, select the mounted disc image you just created. for the iso part, select all the project files, including the autorun.inf file.

5. burn the cd.

6. test the cd on mac and pc.  on the mac, a window should open with one icon. you click it and it opens the file or starts a program.  on the pc, the project will automatically start.

fyi…how to create an autostart cd for both a pc and mac…in case you ever need to…